Blower

ABSTRACT

A blower reduces debris blown toward an operator when air is jetted from a distal end of a blower pipe. A blower includes a blower body and a blower pipe. The blower body includes an impeller drivable to rotate by a prime mover, and a casing accommodating the impeller. The casing includes an air inlet and an air outlet. The blower pipe includes a basal end coupled to the air outlet, a distal end from which air ejected through the air outlet is jetted, and a peripheral wall having one or more openings.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese PatentApplication No. 2018-067296, filed on Mar. 30, 2018, the entire contentsof which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a blower.

2. Description of the Background

Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Registration Application PublicationNo. 6-76515 (hereafter, Patent Literature 1) and Japanese UnexaminedPatent Application Publication No. 8-193396 (hereafter, PatentLiterature 2) describe blowers for cleaning rain gutters, such as eavesgutters. A known blower includes a blower body having a handle held byan operator, and a blower pipe having a basal end coupled to an airoutlet port of the blower body. Air ejected through the air outlet portof the blower body is jetted from the distal end of the blower pipe.During cleaning of a rain gutter, an operator places a straight pipe ofthe blower pipe vertically, while holding the handle of the blower bodywith the distal end of the blower pipe facing the rain guttersubstantially right above the operator.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Leaves, dust, or other matter accumulating in the rain gutter blown withair jetted from the distal end of the blower pipe may fall on theoperator holding the handle of the blower body substantially right belowthe rain gutter.

One or more aspects of the present invention are directed to reducingdebris blown toward an operator when air is jetted from a distal end ofa blower pipe of a blower.

An aspect of the present invention provides a blower, including:

-   -   a blower body including        -   an impeller drivable to rotate by a prime mover, and        -   a casing accommodating the impeller, and including an air            inlet and an air outlet; and    -   a blower pipe including        -   a basal end coupled to the air outlet,        -   a distal end from which air ejected through the air outlet            is jetted, and        -   a peripheral wall having one or more openings.

A blower according to the aspects of the present invention reducesdebris blown toward an operator when air is jetted from a distal end ofa blower pipe of a blower.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a blower according to a first embodiment used forcleaning a rain gutter.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged side view of a blower pipe according tothe first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged side view of a blower pipe according to afirst modification.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged side view of a blower pipe according to asecond modification.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged side view of a blower pipe according to athird modification.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged side view of a blower pipe according to afourth modification.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a blower according to a secondembodiment.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a blower body according tothe second embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described below withreference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a blower 1 according to a first embodiment usedfor cleaning a rain gutter (e.g., an eaves gutter) G. FIG. 2 is apartially enlarged side view of a blower pipe 3 according to the presentembodiment. FIG. 2 shows area a in FIG. 1.

The blower 1 according to the present embodiment is a hand-held blower.The blower 1 includes a blower body 2 and a blower pipe 3. The blowerbody 2 includes a prime mover (not shown), an impeller (not shown), anda casing 20. The impeller is driven to rotate by a prime mover. Theprime mover is an electric motor (motor) in the present embodiment, butis not limited to an electric motor. To feed power to the electricmotor, the blower body 2 may include a battery and/or a power line forconnection to an external power source.

The casing 20 accommodates the impeller. The casing 20 includes an airinlet (not shown), an air outlet 21, and a handle 22 to be held by anoperator M. The blower body 2 takes in air through the air inlet as theimpeller rotates and ejects the air through the air outlet 21.

The blower pipe 3 is formed from, for example, a resin. The blower pipe3 has, for example, a circular or oval cross section, but may have across section with another shape. The blower pipe 3 is removablyattached to the air outlet 21 of the blower body 2. The blower pipe 3has a distal end 32, which is a first open end, and a basal end 31,which is a second open end. The basal end 31 is coupled to the airoutlet 21. Air ejected through the air outlet 21 flows into the blowerpipe 3 from the basal end 31, flows through the blower pipe 3, and isjetted from the distal end 32.

The blower pipe 3 includes an elbow 3 a, straight pipes 3 b, 3 c, 3 d, 3e, and 3 f, and a curved pipe (end nozzle) 3 g. The elbow 3 a is coupledto the air outlet 21. The straight pipe 3 b is coupled to the distal endof the elbow 3 a. The straight pipe 3 c is coupled to the distal end ofthe straight pipe 3 b. The straight pipe 3 d is coupled to the distalend of the straight pipe 3 c. The straight pipe 3 e is coupled to thedistal end of the straight pipe 3 d. The straight pipe 3 f is coupled tothe distal end of the straight pipe 3 e. The curved pipe 3 g is coupledto a distal end 36 of the straight pipe 3 f. The blower pipe 3 accordingto the present embodiment includes the five straight pipes 3 b to 3 f,but may include any number of straight pipes. The blower pipe 3 mayinclude straight pipes (e.g., straight pipes 3 b to 3 f) and the curvedpipe 3 g without the elbow 3 a. In this example, a straight pipe (e.g.,the straight pipe 3 b) is coupled to the air outlet 21.

In the present embodiment, the open end of the elbow 3 a coupled to theair outlet 21 is defined as the basal end 31. The elbow 3 a is bent inan L-shape.

The straight pipes 3 b to 3 f each have a straight axis. The straightpipes 3 b to 3 f each have a distal end as an upper end, and a basal endas a lower end. In other words, the straight pipes 3 b to 3 f are placedvertically.

In the present embodiment, a first end 37 of the curved pipe 3 g isdefined as the distal end 32 of the blower pipe 3. A second end 38 ofthe curved pipe 3 g is coupled to the distal end 36 of the straight pipe3 f. The curved pipe 3 g has a curved axis. The curved pipe 3 g iscurved in, for example, a C-shape, a U-shape, or a J-shape. The curvedpipe 3 g may be flexible and deformable. The first end 37 of the curvedpipe 3 g may be tapered.

A plurality of (four in the present embodiment) openings 33 are locatedin the peripheral wall of the straight pipe 3 f. More specifically, theblower 1 has the openings 33 in the straight pipe 3 f. The openings 33allow passage into and out of the blower pipe 3. The blower pipe 3according to the present embodiment has four openings 33 in theperipheral wall of the straight pipe 3 f, but may have any number ofopenings 33.

The openings 33 according to the present embodiment arecircumferentially spaced from one another in the straight pipe 3 f. Theopenings 33 may be circumferentially spaced at regular intervals in thestraight pipe 3 f. In the present embodiment, the openings 33 are atintervals of 90 degrees about the axis of the straight pipe 3 f.

Each opening 33 has an opening area S1, which is smaller than an openingarea S2 of the first end 37 of the curved pipe 3 g. The opening area S1may constitute 1.5 to 10% of the opening area S2, or may specificallyconstitute 6 to 9% of the opening area S2.

A total opening area S3 of all the openings 33 may constitute 6 to 45%of the opening area S2, or may specifically constitute 20 to 35% of theopening area S2.

In the present embodiment, some air flowing through the straight pipe 3f is radially jetted out of the straight pipe 3 f through the openings33. The air is jetted through the openings 33 in the directionsubstantially perpendicular to the direction of air flowing through thestraight pipe 3 f.

In the present embodiment, the straight pipe 3 f has a guard 4 attachedto its outer circumferential surface. The guard 4 includes a truncatedconical body 40. The body 40 has a through-hole 41 and a slope 42. Thethrough-hole 41 is at the center of the body 40, and can receive thestraight pipe 3 f. The slope 42 is a side surface flared downward fromthe straight pipe 3 f. The guard 4 protrudes radially outward from theouter circumferential surface of the straight pipe 3 f.

In the present embodiment, the openings 33 are located nearer the basalend of the straight pipe 3 f (nearer the basal end 31 of the blower pipe3) than the guard 4. More specifically, the openings 33 are locatedbelow the guard 4.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged side view of a blower pipe 3 according toa first modification. The blower pipe 3 will be described focusing onits differences from the first embodiment described with reference toFIG. 2.

In the present modification, the openings 33 are located nearer thedistal end 36 of the straight pipe 3 f (nearer the distal end 32 of theblower pipe 3) than the guard 4. More specifically, the openings 33 arelocated above the guard 4.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged side view of a blower pipe 3 according toa second modification. The blower pipe 3 has the features described withreference to FIG. 2, which are different from those described in thefirst embodiment.

In the present modification, the openings 33 are located nearer thedistal end 36 of the straight pipe 3 f (nearer the distal end 32 of theblower pipe 3) and the basal end of the straight pipe 3 f (nearer thebasal end 31 of the blower pipe 3) than the guard 4. More specifically,the openings 33 are located above and below the guard 4. In the presentmodification, the openings 33 are spaced from one another in thedirection in which the straight pipe 3 f extends.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged side view of a blower pipe 3 according toa third modification. The blower pipe 3 will be described focusing onits differences from the first embodiment described with reference toFIG. 2.

In the present modification, a guard 5 is attached to an outercircumferential surface of the straight pipe 3 f, instead of the guard4. The guard 5 includes a rectangular plate body 50. The body 50 has acentral through-hole 51, which can receive the straight pipe 3 f. Theguard 5 protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferentialsurface of the straight pipe 3 f. The guard 5 according to the presentmodification may replace the guard 4 in the first and secondmodifications (refer to FIGS. 3 and 4).

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged side view of a blower pipe 3 according toa fourth modification. The blower pipe 3 will be described focusing ondifferences from the first embodiment described with reference to FIG.2.

The guard 4 is eliminated in the present modification. The guard 4 maybe eliminated in the first and second modifications (refer to FIGS. 3and 4).

The blower 1 according to each of the first embodiment and the first tofourth modifications includes the blower body 2 and the blower pipe 3.The blower body 2 includes an impeller, which is driven to rotate by aprime mover, and the casing 20, which accommodates the impeller and hasan air inlet and the air outlet 21. The blower pipe 3 includes the basalend 31, which is coupled to the air outlet 21, and the distal end 32,which jets air ejected through the air outlet 21, and a peripheral wallhaving the openings 33 (refer to FIGS. 1 to 6). Thus, some air flowingthrough the blower pipe 3 is jetted out of the blower pipe 3 through theopenings 33. During cleaning of the rain gutter G with the blower 1,debris such as leaves or dust falling from the rain gutter G can thus bedirected away from the blower pipe 3 by air jetted through the openings33. This reduces the debris such as leaves or dust falling from the raingutter G onto the operator M.

In the first embodiment and the first to fourth modifications, theopenings 33 are spaced from one another in the circumferential directionof the blower pipe 3 (refer to FIGS. 1 to 6). Thus, a portion of airflowing through the blower pipe 3 can be radially ejected out of theblower pipe 3 through the openings 33.

In the second modification, the openings 33 are spaced from one anotherin the direction in which the blower pipe 3 extends (refer to FIG. 4).Thus, during cleaning of the rain gutter G with the blower 1, debrissuch as leaves or dust falling from the rain gutter G can be directedaway from the blower pipe 3 repeatedly directed away.

The blower 1 according to each of the first embodiment and the first tothird modifications includes the guard 4 or 5, which protrudes from theouter circumferential surface of the blower pipe 3 (refer to FIGS. 1 to5). This structure can reduce debris such as leaves or dust falling fromthe rain gutter G onto the operator M during cleaning of the rain gutterG with the blower 1.

In the first embodiment and the first to third modifications, theopenings 33 are located nearer at least one of the distal end 32 and thebasal end 31 of the blower pipe 3 than the guard 4 or 5 (refer to FIGS.1 to 5). In the blower pipe 3 having the openings 33 located nearer thedistal end 32 than the guard 4 or 5 (refer to FIGS. 3 and 4), debrissuch as leaves or dust falling from the rain gutter G are directed awayfrom the blower pipe 3 by air jetted through the openings 33 beforereaching the guard 4 or 5 during cleaning of the rain gutter G with theblower 1. The guard 4 or 5 may thus have a small size. In the blowerpipe 3 having the openings 33 located nearer the basal end 31 than theguard 4 or 5 (refer to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5), debris such as leaves ordust falling from the rain gutter G and directed away from the blowerpipe 3 by the guard 4 or 5 are directed away farther from the blowerpipe 3 by air jetted through the openings 33 during cleaning of the raingutter G with the blower 1.

This structure can reduce debris such as leaves or dust falling onto theoperator M.

In the first embodiment and the first to third modifications, the blowerpipe 3 includes the straight pipes 3 b to 3 f, and the guard 4 or 5protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the straight pipe 3f (refer to FIGS. 1 to 5). This structure reduces debris such as leavesor dust falling from the rain gutter G onto the operator M duringcleaning of the rain gutter G with the blower 1.

In the first embodiment and the first to fourth modifications, theblower pipe 3 includes the straight pipes 3 b to 3 f, and the straightpipe 3 f has the openings 33 in the peripheral wall (refer to FIGS. 1 to6). This structure allows some air flowing through the straight pipe 3 fto be jetted out of the straight pipe 3 f through the openings 33. Thus,debris such as leaves or dust falling from the rain gutter G can bedirected away from the straight pipe 3 f by air jetted through theopenings 33 during cleaning of the rain gutter G with the blower 1. Thisstructure reduces debris such as leaves or dust falling from the raingutter G onto the operator M.

In the first embodiment and the first to fourth modifications, thestraight pipes 3 b to 3 f each have a distal end as an upper end, and abasal end as a lower end, and are placed vertically (refer to FIG. 1).In other words, the straight pipes 3 b to 3 f extend vertically. Theblower 1 including the blower pipe 3 including these straight pipes 3 bto 3 f and the curved pipe 3 g can greatly reduce work at high place toclean the rain gutter G such as an eaves gutter.

In the first embodiment and the first to fourth modifications, thecurved pipe 3 g and the straight pipe 3 f are separate, but may beintegral.

The curved pipe 3 g according to each of the first embodiment and thefirst to fourth modifications is curved, but may be bent.

In the first embodiment and the first to fourth modifications, theopenings 33 are located in the straight pipe 3 f. In addition to orinstead of these, such openings 33 may be located in at least one of thestraight pipes 3 d and 3 e and the curved pipe 3 g located above theoperator M. The openings 33 are specifically located in the peripheralwall of the blower pipe 3 located above the operator M.

In the first embodiment and the first to third modifications, the guard4 or 5 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the straightpipe 3 f. In addition to or instead of this, the guard 4 or 5 may beattached to at least one of the outer circumferential surfaces of thestraight pipes 3 d and 3 e and the curved pipe 3 g located above theoperator M. The guard 4 or 5 is specifically attached to the outercircumferential surface of the blower pipe 3 located above the operatorM.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a blower 10 according to a secondembodiment. FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of a blower body 11according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8 does not show an inlet portcover 17. The blower 10 will be described focusing on its differencesfrom the first embodiment.

The blower 10 according to the present embodiment is a hand-held blower.The blower 10 includes a blower body 11 and a blower pipe 6. The blowerbody 11 includes a prime mover 13, an impeller 14, and a casing 15. Theimpeller 14 is attached to an output shaft 16 of the prime mover 13, anddriven to rotate by the prime mover 13. The prime mover 13 is an engine(internal-combustion engine) in the present embodiment, but is notlimited to the engine.

The casing 15 is a volute casing. The casing 15 has its side surfacefixed to a side surface of the prime mover 13. The casing 15 includes anaccommodating chamber 15 a, an air inlet 15 b, an air outlet 15 c, and ahandle 15 d to be held by the operator M. The accommodating chamber 15 ais a space for accommodating the impeller 14, and located substantiallyat the center of the casing 15. More specifically, the casing 15accommodates the impeller 14. The blower body 11 takes in air throughthe air inlet 15 b as the impeller 14 rotates and ejects the air throughthe air outlet 15 c. The air inlet 15 b is covered with the inlet portcover 17. The inlet port cover 17 has multiple air vents, and isremovably attached to the casing 15.

The blower pipe 6 is formed from, for example, a resin. The blower pipe6 has, for example, a circular or oval cross section, but may have across section with another shape. The blower pipe 6 is removablyattached to the air outlet 15 c. The blower pipe 6 has a distal end 62,which is a first open end, and a basal end 61, which is a second openend. The basal end 61 is coupled to the air outlet 15 c. Air ejectedthrough the air outlet 15 c flows into the blower pipe 6 from the basalend 61, flows through the blower pipe 6, and is jetted from the distalend 62.

The blower pipe 6 includes a straight pipe 6 a and a straight pipe (endnozzle) 6 b. The straight pipe 6 a is coupled to the air outlet 15 c.The straight pipe 6 b is coupled to the distal end of the straight pipe6 a. The blower pipe 6 according to the present embodiment includes twostraight pipes 6 a and 6 b, but may include any number of straightpipes.

The straight pipes 6 a and 6 b each have a straight axis. The open endof the straight pipe 6 a coupled to the air outlet 15 c corresponds tothe basal end 61. In the present embodiment, the distal end of thestraight pipe 6 b corresponds to the distal end 62 of the blower pipe 6.The straight pipe 6 b may be flexible and deformable. The distal end ofthe straight pipe 6 b may be tapered.

A plurality of (four in the present embodiment) openings 63 are locatedin the peripheral wall of the straight pipe 6 b according to the presentembodiment. More specifically, the straight pipe 6 b of the blower 10has the openings 63. The openings 63 allow passage into and out of theblower pipe 6. The blower pipe 6 according to the present embodiment hasfour openings 63 in the peripheral wall of the blower pipe 6, but mayhave any number of openings 63.

In the present embodiment, the openings 63 are circumferentially spacedfrom one another in the straight pipe 6 b. The openings 63 may becircumferentially spaced at regular intervals in the straight pipe 6 b.In the present embodiment, the openings 63 are at intervals of 90degrees about the axis of the straight pipe 6 b.

Each opening 63 has an opening area S4, which is smaller than an openingarea S5 of the distal end 62 of the blower pipe 6. The opening area S4may constitute 1.5 to 10% of the opening area S5, or may specificallyconstitute 6 to 9% of the opening area S5.

A total opening area S6 of all the openings 63 may constitute 6 to 45%of the opening area S5, or may specifically constitute 20 to 35% of theopening area S5.

In the present embodiment, some air flowing through the straight pipe 6b radially jets out of the straight pipe 6 b through the openings 63.The air is jetted through the openings 63 in the direction substantiallyperpendicular to the direction of air flowing through the straight pipe6 b.

In the present embodiment, the guard 4 may be attached to the outercircumferential surface of the straight pipe 6 a or 6 b. The guard 4thus protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surfaceof the blower pipe 6. In this example, the openings 63 are locatednearer at least one of the distal end 62 and the basal end 61 of theblower pipe 6 than the guard 4. Similarly, in the present embodiment,the guard 5 may be attached to the outer circumferential surface of thestraight pipe 6 a or 6 b.

In the present embodiment, the openings 63 are located in the straightpipe 6 b. In addition to or instead of these, such openings 63 may belocated in the straight pipe 6 a.

In the present embodiment, the openings 63 may be spaced from oneanother in the direction in which the blower pipe 6 extends.

The blower pipe 3 according to the first embodiment may be removablyattached to the air outlet 15 c according to the present embodiment.Conversely, the blower pipe 6 according to the present embodiment may beremovably attached to the air outlet 21 according to the firstembodiment. More specifically, the prime mover according to the presentembodiment may be an electric motor, or the prime mover according to thefirst embodiment may be an engine.

The blower pipe 3 with a height of about three meters attached to theair outlet 15 c according to the present embodiment has openings 33 inthe peripheral wall, and thus can restrict an excessive increase in therotational speed of the engine during engine operation.

The blowers 1 and 10 according to the first and second embodiments arehand-held blowers, but are not limited to this. A blower according tothe present invention may be a back-pack blower. More specifically, ablower according to the present invention may be a portable blower suchas a hand-held blower or a backpack blower.

The above embodiments are mere examples of the present invention.Besides the embodiments described herein, the present invention mayencompass various modifications and alterations made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the scope of the invention defined by theclaims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

-   1, 10 blower-   2, 11 blower body-   3, 6 blower pipe-   3 a elbow-   3 b to 3 f, 6 a, 6 b straight pipe-   3 g curved pipe-   4, 5 guard-   13 prime mover-   14 impeller-   15, 20 casing-   15 a accommodating chamber-   15 b air inlet-   15 c, 21 air outlet-   15 d, 22 handle-   16 output shaft-   17 inlet port cover-   31, 61 basal end-   32, 36, 62 distal end-   33, 63 opening-   37 first end-   38 second end-   40, 50 body-   41, 51 through-hole-   42 slope-   G rain gutter-   M operator

What is claimed is:
 1. A blower, comprising: a blower body including animpeller drivable to rotate by a prime mover, and a casing accommodatingthe impeller, and including an air inlet and an air outlet; a blowerpipe including a basal end coupled to the air outlet, a distal end fromwhich air ejected through the air outlet is jetted, and a peripheralwall having plurality of openings circumferentially spaced from oneanother; and a guard protruding from an outer circumferential surface ofthe blower pipe; wherein some air flowing through the blower pipe isradially jetted out of the blower pipe through the plurality ofopenings.
 2. The blower according to claim 1, wherein the blower bodytakes in air through the air inlet as the impeller rotates and ejectsthe air through the air outlet.
 3. The blower according to claim 2,wherein the plurality of openings in the peripheral wall are spaced fromone another in a direction in which the blower pipe extends.
 4. Theblower according to claim 1, wherein the blower pipe includes a straightpipe, and the guard protrudes from an outer circumferential surface ofthe straight pipe.
 5. The blower according to claim 4, wherein thestraight pipe is placeable vertically.
 6. The blower according to claim4, wherein the blower pipe includes a curved pipe coupled to the distalend.
 7. The blower according to claim 1, wherein the plurality ofopenings are located nearer the distal end than the guard.
 8. The bloweraccording to claim 7, wherein the blower pipe includes a straight pipe,and the guard protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of thestraight pipe.
 9. The blower according to claim 1, wherein the guard isattached to the outer circumferential surface of the blower pipe. 10.The blower according to claim 9, wherein the guard has a through-holeconfigured to receive the blower pipe, and a slope flared toward thebasal end from the blower pipe.
 11. The blower according to claim 1,wherein the plurality of openings each have an area that is 1.5 to 10%of the area of the distal end of the blower pipe.
 12. The bloweraccording to claim 11, wherein a total area of the plurality of openingsis 6 to 45% of the area of the distal end of the blower pipe.
 13. Theblower according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of openings in theperipheral wall are spaced from one another in a direction in which theblower pipe extends.
 14. The blower according to claim 1, wherein theplurality of openings are located nearer the basal end than the guard.15. The blower according to claim 1, wherein the blower pipe includes astraight pipe, and the plurality of openings are located in a peripheralwall of the straight pipe.
 16. The blower according to claim 1, whereinthe prime mover is an electric motor.
 17. The blower according to claim1, wherein the air is jetted out of the blower pipe through theplurality of openings in a direction substantially perpendicular to adirection of air flowing through the blower pipe.
 18. The bloweraccording to claim 1, wherein the guard has a through-hole configured toreceive the blower pipe, and a slope flared toward the basal end fromthe blower pipe.
 19. The blower according to claim 1, wherein the blowerpipe extends substantially vertically in use such that the air isejected downward from the distal end, and the plurality of the openingsare located below the distal end and above the blower body.